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By: 99/1 Food Service Management Rebecca Tibbitts
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Monday, 24 January 2011 08:45 |
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It’s that time of year when you need to start planning your romantic evening with that someone special to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Light the candles, set the table, get dinner going then sit and enjoy a romantic evening. But there might be something missing! The champagne, of course! The bubbles feel festive and often it’s a splurge wine, so sparkling wine is often equated with a celebration.
There are some technicalities that are necessary to cover when talking about sparkling wine. Much like the white zinfandel I discussed in the rosé article, the name “Champagne” is frequently misunderstood. To call a wine “Champagne” it must come from within the tiny area in Burgundy, France called Champagne. As you may recall, a region of origin or appellation dictates certain wine practices like irrigation use, grape variety(ies), alcohol level, grape yields and labeling necessities.
 Champagne is a region of origin/appellation for a certain sparkling wine we know as “Champagne”. Technically, to be champagne the grapes used are Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier and only these in various combinations. Sometimes you will see a Blanc de Blancs, a Champagne made from 100% Chardonnay grapes or a Blancs de Noirs (100% Pinot Noir grapes) but mostly it is the combination of white (Chardonnay) and red (Pinot Noir) grapes. Other regions of origin/appellations produce other sparkling wines and these sparkling wines can come from an assortment of grape varieties depending on the region and the producer.
There are two names synonymous with Champagne: Dom Pérignon and Veuve Clicquot. At first glance, most think that these are simply names of Champagne brands, but in actuality they are names of pioneers of Champagne.
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By: 99/1 Food Service Management, Tim Tibbitts
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Monday, 10 January 2011 15:26 |
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Happy New Year everyone. It is the time of the year when we all look forward to new opportunities, new options and new choices. It’s also the time of year when we try to make up for the gluttony of the holiday season by lightening up our food choices. While I do like to try to keep everything in moderation there is the chef in me that battles flavour with trying to look after my waistline. I seem to be losing the battle with the waistline but I’m trying! I need to cook more recipes like these for myself this month. Here are a few light meals that still have great flavour.
 Asian inspired Poached Chicken Salad
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 3/4 to 2 pounds)
- 1 litre/1 pint low sodium chicken stock
- 1 whole lime
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorn
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- Kosher salt
- 2 2-inch piece ginger, peeled
- 1 large shallot
- 4 tablespoons peanut oil (olive oil can be substituted)
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch radishes, thinly sliced, or 1 small daikon radish, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 2 teaspoons Asian chili sauce (such as sambal oelek)
- 1 bunch watercress, trimmed
- Juice of 1 lime
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By: 99/1 Food Service Management, Rebecca Tibbitts
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Tuesday, 28 December 2010 09:27 |
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Many of us wine drinkers today feel like there is a certain grape varietal that fills the void when choosing a wine. Lots of single grape variety wines are high scoring, award winning wines. Grape varietals such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah/Shiraz, Chardonnay, Zinfandel, Pinot Noir and Riesling are popular with or without the weight of its region of origin (Napa Valley, Bordeaux, Niagara Escarpment, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer).
 This trend in choosing varietals over a certain region is fairly new. Historically speaking, wine has been chosen by its area of origin, or appellation (Bordeaux, Cotes du Rhône, Burgundy, Peidmont, Tuscany, Napa Valley, Douro, Rioja, etc). A wine appellation is a region of origin dictating certain wine practices like irrogation use, grape variety(ies), alcohol level, grape yields and labeling necessities. One factor of production in particular an appellation affects is blending- some appellations do not allow blending, some make it mandatory to carry a certain vineyard or area’s name. In southern France, Chateau-Neuf-du-Pape from the Cotes du Rhône permit 13 grape varieties to label it as such while most Burgundy appellations do not allow blending.
With increasing knowledge from the consumers, emphasis has been put on the consumer’s knowledge and choice regarding grape varietal and the consumption trend has shied away from blends. Because blended wines have always offered a balanced, consistent product the wine industry has been trying to redirect consumption to the blends.
Some of the most popular wine blends are household names: Amarone, Bordeaux wines (also known as Meritage blends), most Champagnes, Cotes du Rhône and Port to name a few. Australia as a whole has been blending wines for decades in their own style.
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By: 99/1 Food Service Management Chef Tim Tibbitts
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Tuesday, 14 December 2010 09:03 |
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year! For food lovers that is certainly true. Nothing beats the holidays for feeling guilt free about food excess. Only at this time of year is it ok for us to snack on dessert treats all day long without feeling like we’ll be busted by the food police. Personally, this time of year brings me back to memories of childhood and the endless amounts of cookies, squares and other tasty desserts that were always out around the house in case of those unexpected visits through the holiday season. My family would set aside one day early in December and everyone would come together to do the holiday baking. As a youngster you just sit back at the kitchen table and wait for the first taste tests or if you were old enough your chance to help mix the batter and place the cookies on the tray. So in tribute to the holiday season and my family tradition, here are a few of my favourite holiday treats for you to try during this holiday season.
 Coconut Squares
Base:
½ cup of soft butter
½ cup of packed brown sugar
1 cup of flour.
Cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer. Once combined, gradually add flour until well combined. Press into a greased 9x13 pyrex dish. Bake at 375f for 12 minutes. Depending on your oven you may need up to 15 minutes for this.
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Chocolate contains substances called Phenylethylamine and Seratonin, both of which, put simply, are mood lifting agents found naturally in the human brain. They are released into the nervous system by the brain when we are happy and when we are experiencing feelings of love, passion or lust. This causes rapid mood change, a rise in blood pressure and increased heart rate, inducing those feelings of well being, bordering on euphoria usually associated with being in love. 
